Chapter 494: Chapter 476: Night Talk
Fengyu had predicted correctly. Chen Mo and the Jinyi Guard used the token to pressure the prominent families in Liuzhou City and quickly obtained the medicinal ingredients Doctor Xiao Zhou needed—300-year-old ginseng and rare deer antler velvet. Fearing that the Jinyi Guard alone wouldn’t suffice, Chen Mo personally went to make the request, leaving six Jinyi Guards to watch over Fengyu. Inside the clinic, there were only Doctor Xiao Zhou, a few other doctors, and their attendants. The Jinyi Guards wouldn’t recklessly consume anything from the clinic to avoid implicating its staff. Fengyu, having consumed poison that wouldn’t be neutralized for another two hours, wouldn’t be able to escape Liuzhou. All Chen Mo needed to do was inform the State Mansion to conduct a house-to-house search, and she would certainly be found.
Even if they couldn’t find her, the staff of the Su Family’s Trading House in Liuzhou wouldn’t be able to escape either. Fengyu had already shifted many of the Su Family’s businesses in Zhongzhou elsewhere, but Liuzhou remained untouched. Liuzhou stood at the border between Zhongzhou and the Capital Region. Yuwen Jing needed control over the Su Family’s Trading House to access enormous wealth. Therefore, even as Liuzhou began moving goods to the Suzhou Trading House in the capital city—which was still managed by Su Yuejiao—80% of the profits went to Yuwen Jing to replenish the national treasury.
Yuwen Jing was eager to take Fengyu back to the Capital City. After sealing off Liuzhou, he would undoubtedly use the Su Family’s Trading House to coerce her. Fengyu had no choice but to leave the city and seek an opportunity to escape. Doctor Xiao Zhou brewed an antidote for her, replaced all the pills in her sachet, and prepared two: one was a restorative pill to replenish her blood and energy, and the other detoxified and strengthened her overall health. The residual poison in her body also needed to be addressed.
When Chen Mo returned with the ginseng, deer antler velvet, and other medicinal ingredients, Doctor Xiao Zhou once again brewed medicine for Fengyu. In reality, what he prepared was a simple restorative soup to nourish the blood and calm the mind. Fengyu’s body was too frail; excessive fortification would harm rather than heal.
"After we left, did anyone approach her?" Chen Mo asked in a deep voice.
The Jinyi Guard stationed outside Fengyu’s door shook his head. "The doctor brewed the medicine, and we fed her. No one approached the Third Miss."
Doctor Xiao Zhou and Fengyu only communicated during the time it took for Chen Mo to step out and arrange manpower. After Chen Mo departed, Doctor Xiao Zhou kept his distance to avoid suspicion.
The Jinyi Guards also ensured he didn’t get near.
Cautious and suspicious by nature, Chen Mo had investigated while out searching for medicine. He learned that this clinic was not affiliated with the Su Family’s Trading House and merely had some basic business dealings with it for medicinal supplies. Doctor Xiao Zhou had lived in the city for nearly thirteen years and was well-known. Even during the tumultuous period for the Su Family’s Trading House, the clinic had endured and saved many lives in Liuzhou.
After setting his doubts to rest, Chen Mo still instructed everyone to ensure no one approached Fengyu.
After brewing the medicine, Doctor Xiao Zhou brought it over. Standing outside the door, Chen Mo watched as a Jinyi Guard took the medicine inside to feed Fengyu. Chen Mo asked, "After she drinks the medicine, how long before she recovers?"
Doctor Xiao Zhou cautiously replied, "This young lady’s constitution is extremely weak and unfit for extended travel. Even after taking the medicine, she’ll need at least three to five days to recover fully."
He tried his best to buy time for Fengyu. A person of such standing being abducted was no trivial matter. The longer he delayed, the more likely someone would come from the West State to rescue her, which would be beneficial for her.
"She doesn’t need to fully recover. When can she move at the earliest?"
Doctor Xiao Zhou underestimated Chen Mo’s ruthlessness. He didn’t care if Fengyu recovered; he only needed her to have enough strength to make it to the Capital City alive. This made Doctor Xiao Zhou even more cautious.
The sun was nearly setting, and the poison in the young lady’s body could soon be neutralized. With another dose of antidote that evening, only a small amount of residual poison would remain, which could be expelled later with medications. However, the poison had severely weakened her vital energy and blood; she would need at least one full day to recuperate.
Doctor Xiao Zhou said, "The earliest would be noon tomorrow."
"Fine, then noon tomorrow. If she’s not better by then, you won’t live to see another day!"
Doctor Xiao Zhou: "..."
The Jinyi Guards lived up to their reputation as ruthless and cold-blooded. Pretending to be unconscious, Fengyu lay inside and naturally overheard Chen Mo’s conversation. After drinking the medicine, she felt noticeably better and could at least have a restful night’s sleep to regain her strength.
The night passed peacefully.
The Jinyi Guards had the clinic surrounded so tightly that not even water could seep through. None of the doctors or attendants inside the clinic were permitted to leave and were all confined within. Throughout Yanyang, neither officials nor civilians dared oppose the Jinyi Guard. With only one life to protect, they cooperated fully.
Fengyu did genuinely sleep well. However, her health was so poor that she repeatedly coughed throughout the night. Though her coughing was suppressed, it remained distinct. Chen Mo, who kept his facade indifferent, couldn’t help but ponder as he listened to the sound. It seemed she might truly not live past the age of eighteen, so fragile was her health.
One of the Jinyi Guards remarked, "Chief, do you think Xie Xun has some sort of problem? Look at the Third Miss—her condition clearly signals a short lifespan. Yet he still went to such lengths to request this marriage. Strange, wouldn’t you say?"
Chen Mo was privy to all the gossip in the city. With the Jinyi Guard’s eyes and ears throughout the Capital City, no news, big or small, escaped them. From his perspective, regarding the relationship between Xie Xun and Fengyu...
It could only be chalked up to infatuation. That time when Fengyu encountered danger in the palace, Chen Mo had witnessed everything from beginning to end. He knew it was Xie Xun who saved her. However, the Crown Prince’s handling of the matter was less than ideal, and Xie Xun’s arrival had been so swift that Chen Mo had no time to intervene. Emperor Jianming, as well as Yuwen Jing, both understood the situation clearly.
From that point on, Chen Mo knew there was an entanglement between Xie Xun and Fengyu. Emperor Jianming had even specifically instructed him to keep an eye on them.
As such, the relationship between Xie Xun and Fengyu had been under palace scrutiny since the banquet. On only a few occasions did Xie Xun manage to shake off the Jinyi Guard’s surveillance and slip away deliberately.
At that time, Fengyu’s health was even worse than it was now. Emperor Jianming had once commented on Xie Xun’s behavior back then, calling it lust-driven, frivolous, and devoid of strategic value.
Indeed, for the noble lady set to become the future Marchioness Zhenbei—the heir’s wife from such an esteemed family—Fengyu was not a good match. Firstly, due to her status; secondly, due to her health. Emperor Jianming believed Xie Xun had been bewitched by her beauty. Knowing full well that Feng Shu was already engaged to Xie Zhang, Xie Xun still pursued Fengyu, blind to the broader consequences. This folly, in turn, threatened the Marquis Mansion, leading the Emperor to dismiss Xie Xun as an utter fool.
Moreover, Fengyu’s frailty made her an unlikely candidate for the role of the future Marchioness. Families of high status required their daughters-in-law not only to come from an appropriate lineage but also to be physically healthy enough to bear sons, uphold family honor, and manage household affairs. Fengyu, with her weak constitution and seemingly gentle demeanor, appeared harmless, leading Emperor Jianming to deem Xie Xun merely infatuated with her beauty. At the time, the Emperor had joked to Chen Mo that if all three sons of the Marquis Mansion were like Xie Xun, he could rest easy.
In everything but longevity, they had entirely misjudged Fengyu.
Another Jinyi Guard chimed in, "If not for the Third Miss, the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry wouldn’t have endured half a year after defecting from the Capital City. They’ve only managed to recover thanks to the Su Family’s Trading House. Over the years, the Third Miss has worked tirelessly for the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry, sacrificing immense wealth. Why wouldn’t Xie Xun want her? After all, it’s unlikely she’ll live long or have children. When she’s gone, all that wealth would belong to the Xie Family. He could easily remarry later. To me, it seems like the Emperor forcing Fengyu to return to the Capital City might be exactly what Xie Xun wants. Otherwise, why hasn’t the West State sent anyone to pursue us along the way?"
The Jinyi Guards agreed amongst themselves, finding the argument plausible.
Chen Mo frowned and said indifferently, "Their disputes are none of our concern. Our only duty is to follow orders."
"Hahaha, we were just making small talk to pass the time during our watch. If it were me, I wouldn’t save Fengyu either. Her death simplifies everything. Half of the Su Family Trading House’s wealth would go to the Emperor, and the other half to Xie Xun. With Fengyu gone, all of it would be his. He’d probably wish she’d die sooner."
Fengyu, restless from her coughing, had difficulty falling asleep. Lying awake, she clearly overheard the conversation from Chen Mo and his men on the rooftop. She found their reasoning oddly compelling.
A wife with wealth, illness, and a short life expectancy—what a blessing for a man.